Connector assemblies are required to provide electrical power or electrical or electronic control signals between components, such as computers, printers, auxiliary hardware, etc. Often these components contain panel members, such as PC cards, which are populated with miniaturized components to provide the desired electrical control. Usually, the connector assembly includes electrical contacts that extend from a housing that is secured adjacent to one end of the panel member. A mating connector assembly is configured for receiving the connector assembly. The operational reliability of the component is directly affected by the integrity of the connection. That is, if there is an insufficient electrical connection between the contacts, the components cannot operate as intended. In some applications, such as where the PC card contains high-powered light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the PC card and associated contacts are exposed to high temperatures, causing stress relaxation of the metal connector components. Stress relaxation of the connector components further exacerbates the problem by creating intermittent opening of the contacts, and reducing the normal force applied to the electrical contact points.
What is needed is a card edge cable connector that satisfies one or more of these needs or provides other advantageous features. Other features and advantages will be made apparent from the present specification. The teachings disclosed extend to those embodiments that fall within the scope of the claims, regardless of whether they accomplish one or more of the aforementioned needs.